Lunch at Stravaigin
by EllieV
Summary: A sequel to The Greater Good. This is a New Year's fic. Anything beyond that, just read it. If you haven't read The Greater Good, you should read, in order, Fever by LadyPredator, The Greater Good and then Lunch at Stravaigin.
1. Lunch at Stravaigin Chapter 1

_Don't own SGU; don't want to  
This sequel to The Greater Good is a 'I'm a little late for New Year's but here it is anyway' fic._

**Lunch at Stravaigin  
By EllieV**

Everyone was sick of it, TJ reflected, but typically, it was Rush who said something. And typically, it was Rush who drew all the ire, despite everyone in the room agreeing with him. People were tired. They were tired of the food, the water, the ship, their situation, and their helplessness.

It was the weekly meeting and to TJ's surprise, Rush was there. The bowl in front of him indicated that he'd come in for breakfast rather than the meeting but he stayed anyway. He answered whatever questions were put to him; TJ even thought he was more polite than usual. He looked tired but then he generally did. In her head, she had a Rush tiredness meter. She put today at medium, thinking that he'd slept recently but had got up early, immersing himself in work. She upped the meter to tired and headachy when he put a hand up and rubbed the side of his head. He wasn't the only one but she could guarantee that he was the only person with a real headache rather than a hangover.

They'd just finished celebrating—if that was the word for it—Christmas. They'd organized a Secret Santa and it was fun, although not everyone took part; some people said no and had spent Christmas in their quarters. It was amazing what people had stashed in their personal belongings. Park, to TJ's great amusement, donated a book that no one had read. Lt James had a Hershey Bar. It was little things. TJ had taken it upon herself, since no one else would, to ask Rush if he wanted to be in on it. He'd said no but came by the infirmary later that day and handed her a packet of cigarettes and a lighter. Gold.

She said, "You could trade these."

"For what?" he'd shrugged.

He had told her he smoked but these were unopened. She didn't put them in the Secret Santa. Instead she hid them for bartering later on. People had all sorts of things and after various searches of their quarters to find stolen food they concealed anything of value. Destiny was a big ship and personal items were easily hidden. Certain things were off limits. No one touched another's computer; it was acknowledged they were for work. Likewise, no one touched another's iPod or similar music or video storage, although most people pooled and traded the content. Park had timidly asked if she could borrow Rush's iPod; she liked classical music, she said, and had studied it in high school before she got interested in science. Rush had the best collection of classical music and TJ wondered if it was all he listened to. Rush had handed Park his iPod without demur and sometimes when TJ wandered down what had become known as the 'Scientists Quarter', she could hear the same music coming from Park and Rush's rooms.

Rush had recovered from his long illness, though he still wore the sweater and the fingerless gloves, the latter less and less. The shivering had mostly stopped, although she would spend surreptitious ages watching him to check. She would occasionally catch his arm and he'd pull away but not before she found that his hands were still cold. The more tired he was, the colder he became. Greer was no longer found outside Rush's quarters but she would catch him checking on Rush during the day just as he would catch her. They would shrug wryly, silently acknowledging the other's concern. Both of them avoided Colonel Young in their quest to keep Rush healthy and alive. As Chloe put it, Rush works, we go home. TJ told herself that was all she cared about.

Becker went all out for Christmas. There was some banana gloop left but everyone pretty much acknowledged by now that that the gloop belonged to Rush. Even the purple potatoes tasted less awful when spiced up but it turned out they had a better use. TJ primly called it medicinal alcohol but basically it was moonshine. Rush had turned a blind eye to Brody pilfering various bits of equipment to make a still; even more, he'd deflected Scott when questions were asked about certain items going missing. The moonshine tasted disgusting and smelled like some sort of industrial cleaning fluid but it was alcohol and it was Christmas. Even two days after, people were hungover and feeling sorry for themselves.

The problem that morning came when Eli started on a litany of complaints. He was just letting off steam, mainly at Scott and Chloe, but TJ could see everyone tensing up. It was not seeing a movie marathon as he always did on New Year's Eve. It was missing turkey at Christmas and Thanksgiving. It was not having this, not having that, not having anything, not having everything. TJ's head started to ache and she could see Colonel Young's eyes glaze over and everyone else glancing at each other. TJ could even tell that Young was about to say something.

But Rush got in first. He increasingly held his head and she could see him grinding his teeth. She glanced at Greer but he was glaring in irritation at Eli. Admittedly, Eli wasn't the only person talking but his voice was the most grating.

Finally, Rush snapped.

"For christ's sake, would you quit your fucking moaning," Rush said harshly. "Just shut the fuck up for once in your _fucking_ life."

There was dead silence.

Eli's jaw dropped; his eyes were wide. Everyone else put on appropriately shocked faces. TJ and Greer glanced at each other.

"Rush," Young began.

"Oh, _what_," Rush said, his voice venomous.

People were too busy glaring at him to notice him wincing at the sound of his own voice. TJ upped the Rush tiredness meter to high. Young ripped him to shreds. Rush simply went silent, lowering his head, as Young got closer to him then he raised his eyes defiantly, sneered, and stalked out.

Eli's usual crowd clucked around him.

"You okay?" Young asked Eli gruffly.

"Yeah," Eli nodded unhappily. "Sorry, I …"

"_You_ have nothing to apologize for," said Chloe emphatically.

Scott patted him on the shoulder. "You know, sometimes I think we're all just getting along and then there's Rush," he said. "What the hell brought that on?"

One of the scientists, a victim of Rush's oft stated view that incompetent people should stay the hell well away from him, piped up to say, "He didn't even take part in Christmas."

"Scrooge," someone else snickered.

Ah right, now Rush was now apparently the _only_ person not to take part in Christmas. Young didn't stop any of the murmuring around the room. He stomped out himself.

Greer said in TJ's ear, "You'd just be blowin' in the wind if you said something, Lieutenant."

"I know," she said. "He's not the easiest person to deal with, Sergeant."

"You get along with him," Greer said promptly.

"So do you," TJ said back at him.

"You're the medic," Greer said, with complete finality.

"Thanks," she said snappily.

"Why don't I see if Eli's okay?" Greer suggested.

"Eli's fine," TJ muttered. "His ego's the one of the few things on the ship that keeps getting fed."

She bit her lip immediately but Greer murmured, "Nasty."

When she tracked down Rush, he was in the observation room, sitting on a bench holding his head. She'd stopped by the infirmary first.

"Luckily, everyone already thinks you're the most horrible and unpleasant person on Destiny," she said sitting next to him, "so no one was really surprised at this latest little display."

He huffed out the ghost of a laugh and winced again.

"Here," she said. "Lt Johansen's excellent headache cure."

She held out some water. In it was mixed in some herbs from one of the planets Destiny visited. It tasted, Rush had said to her previously, bloody awful but it worked. She'd become a herbalist as well as the ship's medic.

"I'll be unconscious for two days," Rush objected half-heartedly. He took the potion anyway and drank it down. He coughed and mumbled, "God, that's shite."

"You out of the way is a good thing," she said. He shrugged. "Picking on poor little Eli like that."

He snorted unrepentantly. "Poor little Eli," he repeated.

"Look, people just miss home, okay?" she said. "Everyone else just wants to go home. It's different for you; you like it here."

"Aye," he said. "It's a bundle of laughs."

As he stood and handed back the cup, his hand shook. He said something in a language she didn't know then that he was going to bed. She stood and he said, "You don't have to follow me."

"Yes, I do," TJ said. "Firstly, everyone wants to kill you; I know you don't care about that but I have things to do that don't involve cleaning up your corpse. Secondly, if you fall over unconscious on the way, I'm the one who will have to drag you to your quarters just like last time, so I may as well just come along and get it over with rather than having to go to the infirmary then all the way back."

"This is you applying logic again, isn't it," Rush said drily.

"See how good my headache cure is," TJ noted. "You're feeling better enough to snark at me."

"Piss off," Rush muttered.

"After you're in bed," she said cheerfully.

She stopped smiling after he closed the door to his quarters. Colonel Young would say that Rush was a lot of work and he was. She didn't know what brought on this morning's outburst but he looked like he was dwelling on something. Could be Young, could be anything. It wasn't as if he'd tell her.

Young was waiting for her in the infirmary.

"And how's our Dr Rush," he asked, the usual tense edge in his voice.

"Migraine," TJ said.

He knew she'd gone to find Rush. Shit, shit, bugger.

"Overwork?" Young asked.

He didn't pretend to be concerned but TJ pretended not to be.

"No idea, sir," she said briskly. "I just made sure he wasn't going to fall over." She gave the cup a rinse. "Is Eli okay?"

"His ego's bruised a bit but he's fine," Young said. "At least he stopped talking. If Rush hadn't said something, I probably would have."

And yet he got in Rush's face over it.

"Christmas is hard no matter where people are," TJ said.

"Even for Rush?" Young asked, a note of skepticism in his voice.

"I've no idea what Rush thinks about Christmas," TJ said truthfully. And then she lied. "I don't really care what he thinks about anything."

Young nodded thoughtfully.

"You're, uh, due to use the communication stones," he said. "Thought I'd come and remind you."

"I hadn't forgotten, sir," TJ said. "I want to talk to the SGC doctors."

"You should visit your family," Young said.

"Yes, sir," she said with no intention of doing so. She couldn't imagine turning up at her family's house in someone else's body. Better that she write an email when she got back to Earth. "I'll do that."

She was transported to the SGC at her request and spent hours with Dr Lam, cramming in as much as she could. They found her a specialist to discuss herbal medicine and when she was finally left alone at the end of the day, she sat at a computer.

"An hour, Lieutenant," a voice called from the door.

"Thank you," TJ said.

She paused and looked around. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. She bit her lip and typed in "Doctor Nicholas Rush", pressing enter. It was mostly academic articles. She opened a couple at random. Physics, language, philosophy, math. There were even a few photos in Google images, his eyes generally down and away from the camera. She touched the screen and wished she understood at least something that he liked; nothing in the papers she flicked through meant anything to her. She went through a few more pages. In one photo, he was standing next to a dark-haired woman. She was smiling into the camera. She was attractive and elegant. Both of them were in evening dress, TJ lingering over the sight of Rush in a tuxedo. There was no caption, no clue as to who the woman was or where the photo had been taken—some academic thing, no doubt. He wore a wedding ring; his wife, maybe? When she deleted some of the address to find out more, it came up as a 404 error. She wouldn't ask him. It would be one question too familiar.


	2. Chapter 2

_Don't own SGU; don't want to  
This sequel to The Greater Good is a 'I'm a little late for New Year's but here it is anyway' fic._

**Lunch at Stravaigin  
By EllieV**

She stood and asked the marine at the door where she could find Colonel Carter. The marine gave her directions to a lab. TJ knocked at the open door and the pretty, short-haired blond looked up.

"PFC Smith, what can I do for you?" Carter asked.

TJ looked down at the name on the uniform.

"Oh, uh, it's Lt Johansen, ma'am," she said. "I'm using the communication stones."

"From Destiny," said Carter, sitting back in her chair. "How are things there?"

"Okay at the moment, ma'am," TJ said. "Um, I was hoping to ask you a couple of questions about something."

"Sure, pull up a seat," Carter said. She indicated another chair.

"In confidence," TJ said hesitantly.

Carter seemed too nice to be an amazingly intelligent physicist; maybe TJ was just used to crabby scientists. As Carter's eyes narrowed, TJ got that there was more to her than the calm exterior she exuded. Carter got up and shut the door.

"What's up, Tamara," Carter said.

She knew TJ's first name.

"I wanted to ask about Dr Rush," TJ said.

Carter's eyes narrowed even further as she examined TJ's face. TJ knew she was taking a risk here. Rush hadn't been popular on Icarus and things hadn't changed on Destiny. There had been noises at Icarus about there being other projects in the works, projects that would take the funding earmarked for Icarus. She'd heard that a lot of requests that Rush had made for staffing and equipment had been refused; people who had been needed had been shifted out of Icarus as time went on. TJ hadn't taken much notice because she'd had little to do with the science team but now she wondered if Rush's supposed craziness and insistence on working alone was more frustration at not having people who knew what they were doing. Isolation by force. She tried to look as innocent as possible in the face of Carter's silence.

Finally Carter said, "I don't know him, Lieutenant; we've met a couple of times. That's all."

TJ said, "Sorry to bother you then, ma'am."

She stood and Carter said, "Sit down, Lieutenant. What's wrong?"

Nothing was 'wrong' as such; TJ said so.

"Yet here you are, Lieutenant," said Carter, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, ma'am," said TJ. "But honestly, there's nothing wrong; I was just curious about something."

"About Dr Rush," said Carter.

"Yes," said TJ. Carter lifted an interrogative eyebrow. TJ decided to take a chance even though it might backfire. "He's not the easiest person …"

She left the sentence hang and was surprised at Carter's response.

"In confidence, Lieutenant, Dr Rush doesn't have a good report card," Carter said frankly.

"From?" asked TJ, well aware of who hadn't given Rush a good report.

"Colonel Young, for one," said Carter. "And Ms Wray."

TJ couldn't help herself and snorted.

"You don't agree with that assessment, Lieutenant?" Carter asked, her eyebrows lifting quizzically. TJ bit her lip. "Again, in confidence, Lieutenant." TJ nodded as Carter leaned forward. "Aside from his initial communication, Dr Rush hasn't been back to Earth at all. Some reports are …" Carter hesitated and seemed to pick her words carefully … "Some reports may contain personal opinions and unintended bias." Carter sat back and said, "I'm sure General O'Neill would be interested in a more independent view."

"Why do you think I'm independent? TJ asked.

"I don't know that you are, Lieutenant," said Carter mildly. "But you're here asking about Dr Rush and that I believe is the first time anyone's asked _about_ him instead of complaining."

"Oh, I have complaints, ma'am," TJ said drily. "I'm here asking because I have complaints."

"Such as?" Carter asked.

TJ shut her mouth firmly and shook her head. Carter's reply was very careful.

"Lieutenant, in the very strictest confidence," Carter stressed, "it has got to the point where if Dr Rush comes back via the communication stones, it's possible he will stay here unless something happens in his favor."

TJ said bluntly, without thinking, "If that happens, we'll all die."

They wouldn't, would they?

Carter's eyes gleamed. "My understanding that Dr Rush has put you all in danger again and again. He dialed the ninth chevron when you should have evacuated to Earth. People have died; a United States Senator died."

TJ said, "Senator Armstrong had internal bleeding from his injuries at Icarus; he wasn't killed, he went into a shuttle that was open to space to shut the door so that we could continue to breath. Dr Rush wasn't even there."

"And being on Destiny?" Carter asked testing her.

"You're a scientist, Colonel," said TJ. "You were there on the Hammond. Can I ask: were you aware of the power build-up from the planet?"

"Yes," said Carter. "I'm not saying Dr Rush was wrong in not dialing Earth but he could have dialed somewhere else in the Milky Way."

"Were you told how we arrived on Destiny?" TJ asked. "We were flung through the gate. The kawoosh after we dialed the ninth chevron took up the length of the gateroom."

Eli had described it in detail.

"It's entirely possible that the build-up of power could have destroyed any planet that was dialed in the Milky Way," Carter said. "Without any numbers, it's difficult to say."

TJ noted the lack of benefit of the doubt being afforded to Rush even though he'd basically said the same thing to her.

"We all lived when we went through to Destiny," TJ said. "No one was killed going through the gate; people were injured but no one died. What would have happened to us if we had gone through with that amount of power feeding into the gate, even if it didn't blow up the planet at the other end."

Carter became overtly approving.

"The gate doesn't work like that," she said. "The power is needed for dialing; the wormhole remains stable."

"Then why were we tossed out of the gate on Destiny?" TJ demanded. She muted her tone immediately. "Sorry, ma'am."

"It's a good question," Carter said mildly. "I don't have an answer for you, Lieutenant. In the absence of any data, there isn't an answer, only speculation. I can't say whether Dr Rush did the right or wrong thing without evidence either way. I don't know him and I'm going on what other people have said, which is why I'm interested in your opinion. And why I'm interested in why you've asked about him. You would have to know him better than I do."

This wasn't the time to say that Rush had a tattoo that he got when he was fourteen and drunk; it wasn't the time to say that she thought his body was beautiful and that every time she looked into his eyes she felt like she was falling into them; it certainly wasn't the time to say that above anyone else on the ship, she relied on him to be open and honest with her; and she most definitely didn't want to say that he was the only person on Destiny she could really trust.

"Do you know about the fire?" TJ asked finally.

Carter shook her head.

"What fire?" she asked.

Young hadn't told them about the fire? TJ explained what happened, that Rush had sealed the door until he found the sprinklers. No one died; everyone was saved.

"Did you ask him what he would have done if he hadn't found the sprinklers?" asked Carter. "Would he have opened the door?"

"No," TJ said. "I mean, I haven't asked."

"Why not?" Carter asked, putting her head to one side in query. "Do you think he would have opened the door?"

TJ felt completely miserable.

"No," she admitted. "He wouldn't have opened it. I knew that. I didn't ask because I didn't want him to say so. When it happened, everyone was yelling at him and he said that opening the door would mean losing all our oxygen or allowing the fire to spread to the rest of the ship. He told me to pick one. Like he was saying, pick how you want to die."

Carter nodded. "And he'd have been right."

"Would you have opened the door, Colonel?" TJ asked.

"I don't know," she said. "You don't know what you'd do until you're in that situation, faced with that choice. I do know what I would have done outside of that."

"What?" asked TJ.

Carter smiled. "I'd have looked for the sprinklers."

TJ smiled back.

Carter said, "I have to rejoin the Hammond in a couple of days, Lieutenant, and I don't get a lot of free time but I'll run some numbers."

"Thank you, ma'am," TJ said, although Carter hadn't really promised anything at all and TJ didn't know what she meant by running numbers.

"But still, there's your opinion of Dr Rush," Carter said. "I think you like him?" TJ's smile vanished. "At least, you don't hate him then. If you listen to Ms Wray, he's trying to take over the ship."

"Hence my snort earlier, ma'am," TJ said honestly. As long as they didn't get onto Colonel Young's opinion. "Rush is only interested in the science. He worked all through Christmas; he works when he's half dead."

"Sounds like he needs a caretaker," Carter suggested.

Little did she know …

"I don't think there'd be a long line of volunteers," TJ said, making an attempt at dryness. "He's not exactly popular, ma'am."

"Which brings us back to where we came in," said Carter. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything," said TJ. "I'm the ship's medic, ma'am. My priority is everyone's health, including their mental health. If Rush is crazy …"—she sent up a silent apology to him—"If something happens …"

"An insight," said Carter. "Bearing in mind that I don't know much about him personally, I read some of his papers. Have you looked at his work?"

"I tried," TJ said.

"Yes," said Carter. "It's brilliant, of course. He's an exceptionally clever man. I don't think I'll look at Kripke modal frames in the same way after reading his work there. And, I have to admit, his last doctoral thesis was pretty out there. A really difficult work."

"Really?" asked TJ dumbfounded.

Carter was supposed to have one of the world's greatest minds and if _she_ thought it was difficult ... Wait, last doctoral thesis? How many doctorates did the man have?

"Well, bearing in mind that language isn't my area," Carter said. "Math as language; language as math. I mean, that's not new, but the applications use it projected was just amazing. Way before its time. I got Rodney—Dr Rodney McKay from Atlantis—to take a look and he just raved about it and then admitted after a while he thought it was pretty out there, too. Of course, to Rodney, that means that it's not worth the paper it's written on."

"It was nonsense then?" asked TJ.

"Oh no," said Carter immediately enthusiastic. "I gave a copy to Daniel—Dr Jackson—and he and Dr Lee are attempting to apply it to some non-language translation computer modeling. It would be useful if Dr Rush could look over what's been done so far."

Well, that was unlikely, thought TJ, given what Carter had said earlier. Carter went on.

"You see, not every alien race speaks a language," she said. "When we first discovered the Ancients, it was at a meeting place of the four great alien races: the Nox, the Furlings, the Ancients and the Asgard. We found the periodic table there; math is _the_ universal language. That's just the basics in Dr Rush's thesis. That's also not new but how he put it certainly was. Just imagine being able to communicate with a race that has no language? A truly alien mind."

Carter shook her head, lost in thought for a moment. She smiled. "I got from his CV that he tends to do a subject to death and move on. When Daniel brought up the thesis, he seemed to kind of dismiss it." She looked rueful. "When I met him, I couldn't work him out."

"Floundering," TJ said gloomily.

"He's very attractive," Carter said.

TJ looked up but Carter didn't have that gleam; she seemed pensive.

Carter said, "Very expressive face."

TJ still didn't say anything.

"He was polite," Carter said. "But completely uninformative."

That was true.

"I get the feeling you want me to respond to all of that, Colonel," said TJ. Then she lied again. "I just want a more peaceful existence." She rubbed her face—PFC Smith's face. "He's prickly, hard to get along with, vitriolic, and often just downright bad-tempered and rude. He and Colonel Young shouldn't be in the same universe let alone stuck on a ship together." Oh shit, she didn't mean to say anything about Young; Carter's eyes narrowed again. She finished lamely, "They clash, ma'am."

Carter nodded slowly. "And people follow Colonel Young's lead?" She held up a hand. "Don't answer that, Lieutenant." She pointed at TJ. "It would be helpful if we could speak to Dr Rush about what's been said about him."

"I don't know he'd respond, ma'am," said TJ.

"Why not?" Carter asked. "Is he in fear of his life?"

Her question was serious.

"No, ma'am," TJ said. "He's not afraid, he just wouldn't think it was important. He said to me once to think of the greater good."

"He also has a doctorate in philosophy," Carter said. "I read that thesis, too. The greatest happiness for the greatest number."

TJ repeated what she'd said to him. "Even if that means he gets vilified in the process?"

"Even if he gets killed in the process?" Carter responded with her own question.

"Yes," TJ said.

"Lieutenant," Carter said softly. "I don't think you need to ask any questions about Dr Rush."

After a moment, TJ said, "That's not helpful, Colonel."

"Think about it, Lieutenant," Carter advised. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Ma'am," TJ said warily.

"Would you speak to General O'Neill?" Carter asked. "You don't have to answer that right now either but again, think about it."

TJ bit her lip. Neither Carter nor O'Neill had to live on Destiny.

There was a knock at the door. A marine stuck his head inside the room. "Sorry, Colonel. Five minutes, Lieutenant."

"Thank you for your time, ma'am," said TJ, standing.

"I don't know if I'll be here next time you use the stones, Lieutenant," said Carter. "But ask for me, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," TJ said. She didn't know if she would.

As TJ reached the door, Carter said, "Lieutenant, please be careful."

"Ma'am," said TJ.

As she shut the door, she heard Carter say, "General O'Neill, please. It's Colonel Carter."

Damn. Too late now, nothing she could do about it. She went back to the infirmary and dashed off a quick email to her family. She was fine, everything was fine; she wasn't taking up the scholarship; she decided to stay in for a couple of years. It was brisk, breezy and cheerful. No, she couldn't call right at the moment; no, she wasn't in any danger. TJ pressed send and made her way back to Destiny. Greer was waiting for her.


	3. Chapter 3

_Don't own SGU; don't want to  
This sequel to The Greater Good is a 'I'm a little late for New Year's but here it is anyway' fic._

**Lunch at Stravaigin  
By EllieV**

She looked around before asking if everything was all right.

"Yes, ma'am," he said. "I was just passing."

"Sure," TJ said skeptically. "What's up?"

"There was an incident," Greer said.

"He's supposed to be asleep," TJ said instantly worried. "I gave him enough dope to knock him out for two days."

"Not Rush," said Greer. He slid a glance at her.

"What happened?" she said. "Who?"

"Brody, some of the other scientists," said Greer. "There's kino footage."

"Show me," TJ requested.

She sat and watched.

"Okay," Brody said briskly. "This section's completely mechanical so we have to get our hands dirty, ladies and gentlemen."

"I just did my nails," Park said mournfully. "Left or right?"

Brody checked something on his notebook. "Left," he said.

Park and Volker, learning mechanical engineering just as Brody was learning their jobs, turned a lever around. Something clanged. There was a hiss and TJ could hear something working. Then she heard Riley's voice.

"Uh, Brody?" Riley's voice sounded tinny. "That's blown a relay."

"Where?" Brody asked. "Lisa, turn it down a little."

Park and Volker turned the lever back an inch or so.

"Okay," said Riley's voice. "That's eased the pressure."

"We'll take a look at the relay," said Brody.

The kino followed them to where Riley said the relay had blown. Brody opened a wall panel and pulled something out.

"Yep, gone," said Brody. "We'll replace it with one of those from our spacewalk."

It hadn't really been a spacewalk; they'd used the suits to go into the open-to-space sections of the ship. The dead areas, Rush called them, where nothing worked overall though there were bits of equipment they could use for spare parts. One of the scientists disappeared and came back a few minutes later with what looked to be a pipe. Brody put it into the wall and resealed the panel.

"How's that, Riley?" he asked.

"Looking good," said Riley's voice.

"Great," said Brody. "Let's move onto the next section."

They packed up and the kino followed them. They took no notice of it and TJ wondered if it was Rush's Bentham, which seemed to be a little sneakier than the rest of the kinos. She scratched her head at anthropomorphizing the kino.

Then as they began their repair work on the next area, she heard Colonel Young's voice on the radio.

"Mr Brody, come in, please," said Young.

TJ could see them all glance at each other before Brody answered. Young asked where they were. Brody gave Young their location and they stood around waiting. Scott and Greer were with him. Greer stood at the back; he didn't say anything.

"What are you doing?" Young asked.

At least he started out reasonably politely.

"Repairs," said Brody, as if it was obvious.

"I haven't authorized any work here," said Young.

"Colonel," said Brody, "this is just repair work to the areas damaged by the fire."

"Which I wasn't told about," said Young. "You go through me if you're doing any work on Destiny's systems."

"No," said Brody.

He wasn't defiant; he was simply matter-of-fact.

"Excuse me?" said Young.

Scott said, "Brody …"

Greer took a step back out of the conversation, although if it came down to it, he'd support Young.

"Colonel, this is simply making sure that what was working before is working now," said Brody patiently.

"And if someone gets hurt," Young began. "That's my responsibility."

"Colonel, you authorized the original work to be done by your marines and we consequently had a fire," said Brody. TJ noted the division between 'your marines' and the science team. "This is an old ship; accidents happen and we want to ensure this area is safe."

"And you go through me before you start anything," Young insisted.

"I will certainly let my team leader know," said Brody, the note of defiance now obvious.

"Oh shit," said TJ despairingly. "He didn't."

"Yup," said Greer.

Brody went on, "Dr Rush will inform you of repairs being undertaken."

"I'll speak to Rush," Young promised, a note of fury in his voice.

"That blithering idiot!" TJ seethed.

"The Colonel?" asked Greer, reserved.

"Brody," said TJ. "I know what he meant but I've had enough of the Colonel and Rush at each other's throats."

"Rush won't know about this," Greer pointed out.

"No, but that won't stop him from getting the blame, will it," said TJ. "What happened?"

"The Colonel posted a guard," said Greer. "The science team's sulking."

"How badly?" asked TJ.

"All in their quarters," said Greer.

"Fan-bloody-tastic," said TJ, unconsciously giving away who she'd been hanging out with. "I shouldn't have doped him up."

"When's he due to wake up?" Greer asked.

"Tomorrow," TJ said. "Can't be helped."

"What are you going to do?" asked Greer.

"Infirmary," said TJ. She stood, poking him in the chest. "We haven't talked."

"No, ma'am," agreed Greer dutifully.

The civilian science team seemed to be on strike the next day. Only Eli and Riley were around. Greer asked TJ sotto voce if they were having a mutiny and she muttered back that she didn't think civilians could be accused of mutiny. But, after Rush made an appearance late in the evening, he simply looked puzzled at the accusation that he'd directed the science team to defy Young's orders over the repair work to the fire-affected area. He said only, "Oh," and sat down to eat his banana gloop. His unwillingness to play, or rather his lack of knowledge of what had happened, and a certain amount of grogginess from the migraine herbs, stumped Young who clearly expected a fight. Young threw up his hands and walked out. After Scott and Greer followed Young, TJ slid into place opposite Rush. He looked up and she folded her hands to stop herself brushing the hair out of his eyes. He needed a haircut and a shave.

"I seem to have missed something," he said.

"The science team's on strike," TJ informed him.

"Oh?" he repeated, this time cautiously.

As TJ explained what happened—careful not to pass judgment on anyone—Rush's expression went from confused to irritated.

"You know, I was having a nice day up to now," he said. "Nice wee sleep in; didn't have to get up because my doctor told me to spend the day in bed so I just read a bit and listened to some music; little bit of banana gloop for supper; perhaps a wander around the ship, back to bed."

"You should probably still do that," TJ advised, touched that he'd called her his doctor. "I spent the day on Earth at the SGC: medicine and herbs."

She didn't mention Google, the woman in the photo or her chat with Colonel Carter.

Rush fixed his gaze on her, his chin resting in his hands. She flushed and looked away, saying, "What?"

"Thank you," he said.

She bit her lip and said, "For what?"

"Working," he said. "Harder than anyone really."

She didn't know where to look or what to say so she disguised her embarrassment with gruffness. "Come on, go have your wander and then straight back to bed. No working."

"Yes, ma'am," he said softly.

She didn't see him again until New Year's Eve whereupon, Greer reported, his vitriolic personality returned in full. People had screwed things up all over the place and Rush was not pleased. Greer gazed her at expectantly.

"What?' she asked.

"I think everyone's kind of thinking that you'll calm him down," Greer said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded suspiciously, all the time inside thinking, shit, shit, fucking shit. She needed a thesaurus for some new swear words.

"He's more polite when he's talking to you," Greer said. "I ain't the only person who's noticed, L.T."

Goddammit.

"You're kidding, right?" she said. "He swears like a damned trooper around me."

"Yeah, but he's nice about it," Greer said.

"And who exactly is 'everyone'?" TJ wanted to know, mentally crossing her fingers that Eli hadn't noticed, that the kinos hadn't recorded anything, that Scott didn't know and above all that no one had said anything to Young.

"Well, Lt Scott mentioned that the Colonel said maybe you should dope him up on your migraine herbs," Greer said, watching her closely. As she paled, he said, catching her arm, "No one thinks it's anything more than you being nice when he was sick."

"You're sure?" she whispered.

Greer said. "No one likes him."

"Yes," she echoed. "No one likes him." She bit her lip; she had to be more careful. "Where is he?"

"Talking to Brody about the repairs," Greer said. "You want an escort?"

She nodded dolefully, promising herself that she would go out of her way to avoid Rush completely unless she had to. No just popping into the control interface room to check on him; no casually sitting down at the same table in the mess hall; and certainly no late night visits to his quarters to make sure he was sleeping rather than working. Nothing.


	4. Chapter 4

_Don't own SGU; don't want to  
This sequel to The Greater Good is a 'I'm a little late for New Year's but here it is anyway' fic._

**Lunch at Stravaigin  
By EllieV**

He was standing against a wall listening to Brody describe what work they'd done so far, what they were planning on doing and what effect it might have on Destiny's systems. Brody looked hopeful as did Volker and Park. Rush spared TJ a brief glance but otherwise didn't acknowledge her or Greer.

He said impatiently, "Well, get on with it then. You don't need my permission to sneeze."

"Colonel Young said …" Park put in hesitantly.

"Then by all means run it past Colonel Young," Rush said with a wave of his hand. "I have better things to do than be your little messenger boy."

Ouch.

Volker, Park and Brody looked glum. Rush let out an irritated breath.

"Look," he said. "Brody, do you know what you're doing?"

"Yes," said Brody, stung.

"That's what I thought," Rush said. "You were hired because you're a good engineer: go engineer." He turned to Volker and Park. "You two are clearly having the time of your lives: go have fun."

The three of them brightened but were still hopeful. Rush looked exasperated then threw up his hands.

"Right, fine," Rush said. "What do you need?"

Your approval, you idiot, TJ said silently.

As Brody explained what they wanted, Rush folded his arms to listen. To TJ's mind he knew what they wanted to do as soon as Brody began explaining it but instead, he engaged them in a discussion. Greer nudged her and she nodded. This was Rush the teacher, allowing his team to come to their own decisions. Rush asked a couple of questions, gently pointed them in the right direction by saying, "Hmmm, what about …?" and "Maybe" and "Yes, but" a couple of times, and said that he'd leave them to it.

Park said hastily that they could use a bit of help; Volker suggested that Rush direct them from the control interface room and Rush immediately responded that Volker needed the experience on Destiny's systems. He'd switch on the doohickey. He didn't use the word doohickey, of course, that was TJ's substitute for whatever it was he did say. This was apparently the easiest job since it meant just taking a panel off a wall and flicking a switch.

"Give us twenty minutes," said Brody.

"Shouldn't take longer than ten," said Rush.

Brody held his ground.

"Twenty minutes," he said.

Rush gave a faint smile.

"Twenty minutes," he agreed. He waited until they left and said, "Do you need something, Lieutenant?"

His voice was courteous and she turned to Greer. "I thought you said he was being horrible to everyone."

Greer gave a shrug. Rush narrowed his eyes.

"Are you my keeper now?" he asked, a hint of temper immediately evident.

"Apparently," said TJ. "There's a New Year's Eve party tonight; are you coming or are you going to skulk in your room?"

"I think I'll skulk, thanks," he replied with a snap. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

He turned on his heel and stalked away. They followed him to an anonymous corridor away from everywhere else and into a small alcove. There was nothing there, just an empty space. He leaned against the wall and sighed when he saw TJ and Greer behind him.

"For god's sake," he said. "If I promise to be a good little boy will you both piss off and leave me be, please?"

"You're right," TJ said to Greer. "He is more polite."

"What?" Rush said, annoyed and puzzled.

"Nothing," TJ said. "Have you eaten today?"

"Yes thanks, Mum," he said with complete vitriol. "I ate my gloop and washed my plate afterwards."

Greer gave an unhelpful chuckle.

"You don't like New Year's, Doc?" he asked.

"No," said Rush. "Waste of time."

"Well, other people like it," said TJ firmly.

"I don't care," said Rush. "I'd prefer to do some work."

He glanced at his watch. All of a sudden, TJ was completely fed up with him.

"You know, I get that you would prefer to be here rather than on Earth," she said. "Destiny's the best place ever. You like it here. Maybe you don't like anything on Earth, I don't know. But I have a family. I have my Dad and my sister and her two kids. I spent my entire day on Earth at the SGC so I could learn more about medicine than the measly amount that I do know. I didn't call my Dad or my sister, I didn't go see them because, of course, I wasn't in my own body. I sent an email and lied about how I was safe but I couldn't just come home when I felt like it. I lied and said how I decided not to take up the scholarship I got, that I had resigned my commission for, that I worked really hard for; I told them I decided to stay in the military because I was having such a great time despite having said previously that I was thoroughly miserable and I just wanted to get out. I'm not supposed to be here; I mean really, I was supposed to be in Seattle studying two weeks before Icarus blew up but you had to go fetch Eli so I missed my ride."

His face closed up and he said tightly, "Yes, I am totally aware that this is all my fault."

"I'm not …" She wanted to strangle him. "I didn't say it was your fault."

"Except it is," he said bluntly.

"Would we be dead if you hadn't dialed the ninth chevron?" she asked.

"Yes, no, maybe," he said. He was staring at the panel in front of him. "I don't know."

"Isn't there anything you miss about Earth?" she asked. "Anything at all? Or are you just happy to spend the rest of eternity in this spacegoing shipwreck?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he went to open the panel in front of him. It didn't open. He pressed all around it. Nothing.

"Bugger it," he said. He turned, frowned, and said, "Your escort seems to have deserted you."

Greer had disappeared, no doubt during her rant. Bastard. Rush kept on trying to open the panel but couldn't. She didn't offer to help. Finally he stood and kicked it.

"That'll help," TJ said laconically.

"Fuck. Off," Rush said emphasizing each word.

"Nice," said TJ.

There was a little silence then he said, "Celtic Connections."

"What?" she asked, at the non sequitur.

"Celtic Connections," he said. "It's a music festival in Glasgow in January each year. Practically every single Celtic music group goes."

"Okay," she said hesitantly.

"Scottish National Opera," he said. "Any opera; any violin concerto; any choral work, any live music at all."

He kicked the panel again, drawing in a noisy breath and letting it out.

"Hiking on Skye," he said.

"What are you …?" she asked, puzzled.

"I like my work, Lieutenant," he said, his voice angry. "I'm not going to make any secret of that, okay? Destiny is a scientist's dream job; yes, I like it here. I'm not going to say I'm sorry for it. Hob Nobs."

"Hob Nobs?" she asked.

"Oatmeal biscuits," he said. "The chocolate orange ones."

"They sound nice," said TJ.

"Gillespie's," he said. "That's a stout like Guinness only Scottish and better. Sixteen-year-old Lagavulin whisky. Macallan whisky. Bruichladdich whisky. Any bloody whisky at all as long as it's single malt. Getting completely pished at my local after seeing Partick Thistle lose at Firhill on a freezing day, snow coming down."

He looked down at the panel; it had a dent in it.

"Hogmanay," he said. "It's no' New Year's; it's Hogmanay. Scotland's biggest fucking party of the year. December 31st."

She suddenly understood what he was telling her; in his own way apologizing for being in a shitty mood.

"What about haggis?" she asked.

"Can't stand the stuff," he said. "Islay scallops; Ayreshire bacon; Angus beef; sea trout; West Coast mussels; going fishing for salmon in the Orkneys."

"You like fishing?" TJ asked.

"I hate fishing," he said.

He shrugged. He knelt to try the panel again and said into the radio, "The panel's stuck; I'm trying to get it off."

"Okay," Park's voice came through cheerfully. "We'll wait for your signal."

"What else?" TJ wanted to know. "What's the best thing about Glasgow?"

"It's no' Edinburgh," he said immediately. "Charles Rennie MacIntosh. Sauchiehall Street. St George's Square. All the gardens. All the museums. All the art galleries. Neeps and tatties."

"Neeps …" she said.

"Swedes and potatoes," said Rush. "Lunch at Stravaigin. God, I miss having lunch at Stravaigin."

He suddenly kicked the panel again. And again and again and again and again.

"Not being able to speak in a Glaswegian accent," he said viciously in what she presumed was actually a Glaswegian accent. Rolling words, musical, thick as mud. He kicked the panel. "Not being able to speak in a Glaswegian accent because none of you fucking muppets can understand it; instead, I have to speak slooooowly and precisely, so I sound"—kick—"like some fucking middleclass" —kick—"fucking wanker" —kick—"from fucking Edinburgh!"

The panel fell off. He let out a breath, knelt and said into the radio in what she had thought was his normal accent, "The panel's off."

"Thank you!" said Park sounding very happy.

"Switching it on," said Rush.

He pressed something inside the panel and stood, lifting the panel, which was thoroughly dented. He tossed it to one side.

"I'll skulk in my quarters, thanks," he said.


	5. Chapter 5

_Don't own SGU; don't want to  
This sequel to The Greater Good is a 'I'm a little late for New Year's but here it is anyway' fic._

**Lunch at Stravaigin  
By EllieV**

She watched him go and as ever when she didn't quite know what to do, she went to the mess to see who was around. People were preparing for the New Year's Eve party. Chloe and Eli were talking about karaoke.

"Lieutenant," Camille Wray said. "I haven't seen you for a couple of days."

"You went back to Earth today, didn't you?" TJ said, pretending an interest in Wray's personal life. "See your family?"

"It was just a short meeting with Mr Strom," Wray said. TJ had seen Mr Strom; he looked like a thug. "Your name came up. I understand you went to the SGC."

TJ made herself smile and say, "Yes, I spent some time with Dr Lam and Dr Merriman. He's a herbalist. I want to learn as much as I can."

"Did you see anyone else?" Wray asked artlessly.

Shit, she knew. Fuck fuck fuck! At that moment, TJ didn't really care how much listening to Rush had influenced her language for the worse. If TJ had the dented panel, she'd have smacked it into Wray's face.

TJ smiled and said if she'd just remembered something important, "Oh yes, I met Colonel Carter. I forgot completely about that message."

"What message?" Wray asked.

"Well, Colonel Carter asked if Rush could help them with a project," TJ said almost truthfully. "They're using one of his doctoral theses in some sort of computer modeling program, she said. I didn't really understand it but I said I'd mention it to him."

"Rush won't go back to Earth," Wray said.

She seemed surprised that the SGC wanted Rush's help.

"Won't he?" TJ asked. She could do artless, too. Despite the strictest confidence she really should warn him. "Maybe Dr Lee can come here then." She spotted her quarry. "Oh, there's Becker. Excuse me."

She pulled Becker to one side and told him her mission was urgent. He promised to see what he could do. TJ left it at that and went to do some work. A couple of hours later, Becker delivered a tray to the infirmary. It was covered in a cloth and as she went to lift it, she noticed the kino in the corner.

It had a dent.

"Come here," TJ said. The kino didn't move. "Come here, Bentham."

The kino actually came over to her and hovered in the air. It was like a little personality all its own.

"It isn't nice spying on people all the time," she said severely. "Just stop it."

The kino zipped dizzyingly around her head.

"Go away, I do not want to see you again tonight," she said, pointing at it. "If Sgt Greer catches you it won't be another dent; it'll be a bullet."

The kino, amazingly, seemed to droop.

"Don't be so melodramatic," she said. "No following me."

When she finally left the infirmary, and when the New Year's Eve party was well underway, she looked around. No Bentham. It wasn't around when she got to Rush's quarters either. She put the tray down and knocked. She waited a minute and knocked again.

The door slid open. Rush stood, rubbing his head sleepily. He yawned. She'd woken him up.

"Is everything all right?" he asked, faintly concerned. "Shouldn't you be at your party?"

"Tray," she said.

He looked down, bending to lift it.

He sighed and said, "Lieutenant, you don't have to bring me food or hover at me. I am better, you know."

"Thanks to me," she said.

"And I'm grateful," he said.

"This isn't food," she said. "Well, it is but … Are you going to let me into the House of Skulk?"

"By all means," he said, giving her a dramatic bow, though she understood he really didn't want her there.

"Sit," she said.

He sat down on the bed, resting his elbows on his knees. He seemed resigned and she wondered if she was so annoying that he was simply putting up with her to be polite. That hurt more than she wanted to admit.

"Okay," she said putting the thought to one side. She pulled the cloth off. "We don't have whisky but we do have moonshine." She handed him the cup and poured him a shot. "Nor," she said, putting on a determinedly cheerful voice, "do we have any Hob Nobs but Becker's been working on a flour substitute and there's no chocolate but this should taste orange-y."

She handed him a cookie—a biscuit—then took it out of his hand when he made no attempt to try it and shoved it into his mouth. He bit down automatically and crunched. He chewed and said, his mouth full, "Actually, that's no' bad."

"Hob Nobs a la Becker," she said. "Got anything other than classical music on that thing?"

She pointed at his iPod. He leaned over and pressed play. A woman's voice sang in some language she didn't know. It was beautiful.

"Is she singing in …?" TJ asked. "Is it Celtic?"

He looked amused. "Gàidhlig," he said. "Gaelic in the Irish. Gàidhlig in Scotland."

"And everyone speaks that?" she asked, not noticing much difference in the pronunciation, though the Scottish version seemed more guttural.

"No, very few now," he said. "Mostly in the Highlands."

"Everyone else speaks English?" TJ said. "What's Auld Lang Syne?"

"Scots," he said. "Different language. More Germanic, descended from Old English. Lowland Scotland, near the English border. Burnsie's got a lot to answer for with that bloody song."

"And what's your first language?" she asked. "Scots or Gàidhlig?"

He grinned, making him look instantly younger. "Weegie," he said.

"Weegie," she said pondering. "Oh, Glaswegian?"

"Top o' the class to Lieutenant-Doctor Johansen," he said still smiling.

She could fall into that smile.

"I'm not a doctor," she said.

"You may as well be," Rush said. She blushed. "Drink?"

He handed her the cup, so they were sharing it.

"That's terrible," she said of the moonshine.

"It's better than the Christmas vintage," he said. "I tweaked the still a bit."

"You didn't tell Brody," she said.

"God no, he's proud of the bloody thing," Rush said. He took another drink and said something that sounded like 'slonj'. It seemed to be a toast. "Your scholarship: it was to medical school, wasn't it."

"Doesn't matter," she said. "I'm here now."

"Should have dialed the ninth chevron after you graduated," he said musingly.

Asshole.

"Oh," she said. She pointed to the last dish. "Neeps and tatties."

"Neeps and tatties aren't purple," said Rush peering at the dish. "And last time I had these, I threw up for days."

"I know, I was there," she said. She took the cup out of his hand and poured some more moonshine. "Becker promises me that these taste different."

"Not better?" asked Rush.

They'd congealed on the plate, so they looked kind of dead.

"No, just different," TJ admitted. "How about we leave those?"

"Good idea," Rush said. "You're going to be missed at the party."

"You won't come?" she asked.

"I'm sure someone will massacre Burns at midnight," he said. "I'd rather not be there when it happens."

"You're the only person who could pronounce it properly," she suggested.

"Fortunately, I can't sing," he said. "Out."

She stood and said, "Do you say Happy Hogmanay?"

"Bliadhna Mhath Ur," he said. "Tapadh leat."

"Which is?" TJ asked.

"Happy New Year," he said and softly, "And thank you."

"When we get home, you can take me to lunch at Stravaigin," TJ said, hoping she said the name properly, striving for light rather than seeming to ask him out on a date. She blinked the image away.

"We're not going home," he said.

TJ went cold. Sometimes she hated him.

"You said you'd get us home," she said.

"I said I'd try and I am," he corrected her, his voice turning from warm to icy. "You don't want to hear it; none of you want to hear it but the chances of us actually getting home are practically non-existent. Reality check, please."

She slapped him hard across the face but he didn't flinch.

"Thing is," he said watching her. "You were the only person I thought would actually admit it."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," she hissed, tears in her eyes. "You know, you could go home and stay there."

"Meaning?" he said, putting his head to one side.

"Don't use the stones," she said.

"I see," he said slowly.

And he did; she didn't have to explain it.

"Oh, and if Camille asks you about your doctoral thesis," she said. "You'll be happy to discuss it with Dr Jackson and Dr Lee."

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

She explained about the modeling thing Carter mentioned and he seemed mildly interested. Not flattered, just a little interested. She stopped talking and just stood there. Both of them silent for a moment, except she was the only awkward one.

"You were leaving," he said.

He opened the door. She closed it again.

"During the fire," she said. "If you hadn't found the sprinklers, would you have opened the door?"

"No," he said.

Nothing more: just no. Sacrificing people for the greater good.

"Okay," she said. She knew that; she'd told Carter she knew it. "Good night."

She hit the door switch and walked out; she couldn't hear the door shut and she could feel his eyes following her. She went to the party, drank a lot and didn't get up the next day at all.


	6. Chapter 6

_Don't own SGU; don't want to  
This sequel to The Greater Good is a 'I'm a little late for New Year's but here it is anyway' fic._

**Lunch at Stravaigin  
By EllieV**

Still feeling hideous the following morning, she went to the mess hall. Weekly meeting. Rush wasn't there. Young was obviously annoyed but said nothing about Rush at all. Wray brought up the communication stones.

"Colonel," she said, half putting up her hand as though she was in class. "I think those who haven't had the opportunity to use the stones ought to."

Young said mildly, "I have been encouraging people, Ms Wray, but if people don't want to visit home, then I'm not going to force them."

Ah, Young didn't know about Strom.

Wray pressed her lips together for a moment and said, "I made a list so we can double-check no one's missed out."

To his credit, Young was disinterested in Wray's view about anything but said patiently, "Who's on the list?"

Wray named a couple of people and said blithely, "Oh, and Rush."

Young glanced at TJ and while she felt a tinge of alarm at the narrow look, she wanted to snap that she wasn't Rush's bloody keeper. Fortunately—or not, depending on the point of view—Rush came in at that moment and Young immediately said, like an itch he couldn't scratch, "This meeting started twenty minutes ago, Rush."

Rush glanced at his watch and said in gibberish, "Madainn mhath, Colonel, cò an caora sin còmhla riut a chunnaic mi an-raoir?"

"What?" asked Young suspiciously.

Rush smiled blandly and sat down, not answering. Becker put some gloop in front of him and Rush ate it slowly.

Wray said, "We were just discussing who hasn't used the stones to visit their family; you haven't yet, Dr Rush."

Rush looked up and said politely with a brief but pleasant smile, "Oh, no thank you."

"But everyone should go home for a visit," Wray said forcefully.

"Why?" asked Rush. "If people don't want to go, they shouldn't be made to."

"I just said that," Young said.

They stared at each other and Rush's mouth twitched. After a moment, so did Young's. Neither of them said anything else. Wray was frustrated. TJ got that she was under orders from her IOA bosses and actually felt a little sorry for her. Left to her own devices, Wray was good value. Pressure from the IOA had made her reluctantly ambitious. The meeting broke up and TJ left without saying anything to Rush. She managed to avoid him for the rest of the week, at least until the next incident.

It was Brody and his little band of rebels again. The aftermath was public and ugly.

It was just a stupid accident. Volker had been learning to use the plasma cutter under Park's direction and it slipped out of his hand. Before it auto-switched off, the beam glanced off Park's sleeve. TJ heard the frantic call over the radio and raced to the scene. It was just down the hall from the control interface room. Volker was pacing up and down as Brody and Rush knelt at Park's side.

"Get her jacket off," Eli suggested, hovering next to them.

"Not yet," Rush said curtly. He held her arm carefully. "Lieutenant," he said, acknowledging TJ.

Park was trying very hard not to cry but tears flowed down her face anyway. TJ pushed Brody out of the way.

"Hey Lisa," she said gently. "Let's take a look."

"What the hell happened?" Young's voice demanded.

Volker said, "The plasma cutter slipped" at the same time Brody said, "It was an accident."

Rush said quietly, "Do you have her?"

TJ nodded. He stood.

"What were you doing?" Young demanded.

Volker said, "We were just …"

TJ looked around. There were people everywhere watching

"Eli," she said. Eli looked down. "Come and help me."

"You were just what?" Young asked.

TJ looked up to find him glaring at Rush who likely only happened to be there because he had been in the control interface room at the time.

Brody said, "Dr Park was showing Volker how to use the plasma cutter; it slipped, that's all."

"That's all? She could have been killed. I'll repeat, Mr Brody, what did I say about doing any work without permission?" said Young.

"Ah, don't be a numpty," Rush put in scathingly. "It was an accident." He turned to TJ. "Lieutenant, will Dr Park be all right?"

"Yes, I think so," TJ said, smiling reassuringly at Park, who smiled back through watery eyes. "It's a minor burn and I have a honey substitute that will do very nicely and numb the pain as well."

"There you are then," said Rush dismissively.

"No, no," said Young. "That's not all. We need to discuss the chain of command here, Rush."

Brody made the mistake of saying, "For fuck's sake."

"Brody," Scott warned moving forward.

There were too many armed people in the hallway for TJ's liking so she said softly to Eli that they would take Park to the infirmary. They stood Park up but there were so many people in the corridor by now that they couldn't get past them.

Rush said, "Colonel, it was an accident."

"I need to know what work is being done, Rush," said Young, standing his ground.

"I don't think you understand, Colonel," said Rush exasperated. "This wasn't work, it was a training exercise."

"Without any safety precautions," said Young.

Rush turned to Brody and said exaggeratedly, "Mr Brody, next time you conduct a training exercise, would you mind informing the health and safety."

"This isn't a joke, Rush," Young snapped.

"No, it isn't, Colonel," said Rush. "I think Mr Volker has learnt this lesson the hard way."

Volker flushed. Rush gave him a nod that TJ interpreted as "Yes, you were careless. Take it on board but move on." Volker seemed to relax a little.

"Colonel, Dr Park needs her arm treated," Rush said pointedly. "Brody, pack that thing up, please. Lisa, I'll come by later. If you'll excuse me …"

The military people seemed surprised at Rush using her first name but Park said tearfully, "Thank you, Dr Rush."

Young caught his arm as he went past. Rush looked down at Young's hand. They stood close together and TJ could see Rush mentally withdrawing at Young's proximity. Don't push him, TJ urged Young silently. She started edging towards them, holding Park who seemed more frightened by the tense stand-off than she was by her injury.

Young said, "I'm in charge of this ship, Rush."

Rush lifted his head and looked into Young's eyes. He stepped backwards, pulling away from Young's grasp.

"And why might that be, Colonel?" he said coolly. "I didn't work for you at Icarus; you were only the base commander, after all."

Young's face was white with anger. Everyone looked nervous. TJ could see Wray hovering.

"Where are you going, Rush?" he said, a warning in his voice.

"To the control interface room," Rush said silkily. "With your permission of course, Colonel."

He pushed his way through the crowd; Young seemed to suddenly realize people were watching.

Greer said, "Come on, folks, show's over."

He gave TJ a worried look but deep down, no matter what he thought of Rush, Greer would support the military command; he'd support Young. Greer cleared a path for TJ and Park. From behind her, TJ could hear Wray say, "Colonel, can I have a word?"

TJ settled Park in the infirmary and treated her arm. It really was minor but Park had been lucky. TJ gave her something to numb her arm and to treat the wound, and some herbs to help her sleep. It was late when TJ heard a noise behind her. Rush was standing watching Park. No, he was watching her.

"She'll be fine," TJ said shortly.

"Good," he said.

He turned to leave but TJ stood, taking his arm. She looked up and around but there was no sign of Bentham. She pulled him over to the other side of the infirmary.

"What the hell are you doing?" she whispered angrily. "Do you really think you're that indispensible? Are you a total idiot or are you just suicidal? Stop challenging him."

She didn't need to say who.

"He is a bit of a challenge," he said calmly. "I'm sure if there were accessible airlocks, I'd have been shoved out one long ago."

"That's not …" she said, wanting to hit him. "That's not what I meant. Look, Wray was talking to Young after you left."

He put his fingers on her lips to shush her.

"Don't," Rush said. "Scientists are ten-a-penny on this ship but you're the only doctor."

He took his hand away from her mouth and she felt completely bereft. He left, as though he hadn't a care in the universe.

The next day TJ deputized Chloe to sit with Park and change her dressing. Eli said he'd help. It was Volker's turn to use the stones. TJ intercepted him and quietly said that she needed to speak to Dr Lam at the SGC about treating Park's arm. Another lie. Volker reddened guiltily and gave up his turn.

"Anywhere you want to go, Lieutenant?" the young airman said.

"Is Colonel Carter still here?" TJ asked.

She was transported to the SGC where Chief Harriman explained that the Hammond's departure had been delayed because a refit was taking more time than they expected. Carter was at the SGC doing some testing prior to the new doohickey being installed. TJ had decided to call equipment she didn't understand doohickeys.

She had twenty minutes before Carter would be available and aside from the short time she spent with Lam ensuring her cover story, she spent it in front of the computer. Scotland. Glasgow. Celtic Connections. Hob Nobs. Whisky. Partick Thistle. Hogmanay. The menu at Stravaigin.

She knocked on the lab door and there was an absent call of, "Come." Carter turned as TJ came in, again wearing PFC Smith's body. "Lieutenant," she said, already knowing it was TJ. "What can I do for you?"

TJ said without thinking, "Lunch at Stravaigin."

"Sorry?" Carter asked.

TJ looked at her, biting her lip.

Carter said, "Here, why don't you …"

TJ interrupted her, taking a deep breath.

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

Carter regarded her thoughtfully and nodded.

She stood and shut the door.

_FINIS_


End file.
